Our Story

Rooted in community. Built for kids.

The Kids Empowerment Enrichment Program exists for one reason: to give every child the chance to grow into their fullest, most confident self.

How we began

A real estate family that wanted to give back.

KEEP grew out of a simple belief held by the Barré & Co. family: the communities that make our home worth living in deserve to be invested in — especially their kids.

Founded in 2022 as an Arizona nonprofit, KEEP started with a single after-school program and a handful of volunteers. Today it's the dedicated philanthropic wing of Barré & Co. — channeling time, energy, and resources into enrichment programs across the Verde Valley and greater Arizona.

Our founders, longtime educators and substitute teachers themselves, saw firsthand how much a little structure, mentorship, and time outdoors can change a child's trajectory. KEEP is their way of making that opportunity available to everyone.

A creek and green trees beneath red rock cliffs along an Arizona trail

What drives us

Mission & vision

Our Mission

To empower Arizona's children through enrichment and after-school programs that connect them with nature, their communities, their peers, and themselves — regardless of their family's circumstances.

Our Vision

A community where every child has a safe place to land after school, a mentor who believes in them, and the room to discover what makes them come alive.

What we stand for

Our values

Belonging

Every child is welcome, and every child matters. We build spaces where kids feel safe to be themselves.

Nature

Time outdoors teaches patience, wonder, and resilience. We bring kids into the Arizona landscape that surrounds them.

Service

We show kids the joy of giving back — rooting them in community and the people around them.

Access

Enrichment shouldn't depend on a family's income. We work to keep our programs free or low-cost.

Arizona desert valley and mountains at sunset

The Barré & Co. connection

Our philanthropic wing.

KEEP is proudly supported by Barré & Co., a third-generation real estate brokerage serving Scottsdale, Sedona, the Verde Valley, and beyond.

This partnership means our overhead stays low and more of every dollar goes directly to the kids. It's how a real estate family turns local success into local good — reinvesting in the next generation of the communities we call home.

Learn about Barré & Co. →